Thursday, May 14, 2015

Vanished Leicester: Railway lifting bridge, Soar Lane

Copyright © Dennis Calow
This bridge used to take goods wagons across the Grand Union Canal near Leicester West Bridge station. It is photographed here in 1965.

Movable Bridges in the British Isles says it used to be preserved at the Leicester Museum of Technology and was transferred to Snibston Discovery Park near Coalville.

What will become of it now that Snibston is to close?

That site also quote an old newspaper article:
On January 23rd 2009 the Leicester Mercury published an item about this drawbridge in which local resident Roy Rains recalled his childhood in the streets close to Soar Lane Bridge.
Mr. Rains describes how the boys living in All Saints Road and Pingle Street used the area around the drawbridge for swimming during the summer holidays. He recalls watching the bridge in operation and the horses pulling the wagons back and forth during shunting operations.

1 comment:

Phil Beesley said...

It is probable that the lifting bridge will reside in a warehouse stuffed with historical artifacts. These warehouses can be found across the country, stuffed with things that are significant but not important enough for a big display. Museums also need space for the spare bits required to maintain a significant exhibit.

Few visitors will enter a museum warehouse. Historians go in to inspect items which concern them. Large exhibits are crammed together, so nobody can take decent photographs (in the dismal light). On a tight budget, the objects are preserved as best possible.

Have you thought about a Liberal England meet up at Snibston?